The last letter before occupation (St. Claude 1940)

Arthur ‘Dick’ Swift, my Mum (Eileen)’s uncle, had left London for France in the early 1920s to become manager of an Imperial Tobacco Company tobacco pipe factory in St. Claude in the Jura, close to the Swiss border. His French wife, Ginette, wrote most of the letter below to Eileen on 17 June 1940, just as the Germans were approaching the town.

Even as the ‘phoney-war’ at the end of 1939 was starting, Eileen, my mother, had been determined to continue with her plan to travel to St. Claude to improve her French. Her family were apparently still hopeful that war was going to be avoided and let her travel. Her passport shows that she arrived in France, travelling via Calais, on 21 August 1939. In February 1940, she was given a French identity card valid until August 1942 (!). Her passport stamps also show that Eileen only left Calais to return to England on 2nd April 1940.

Below is a transcription and translation of the last letter that Dick's wife, Ginette, was able to send Eileen, just as German troops were approaching the town on 17 June 1940. (The original letter is now deposited with the Imperial War Museum, London).

Ma chère Eileen

Je vous écris un mot vite, le dernier sans doute – que je donnerai à un soldat.

Nous sommes bloqués à St. Claude maintenant. Nous avons attendu vainement avis du consulat – et Dick ne voulait pas quitter son poste avant le danger – les évènements ont été si rapides qu’il est trop tard pour fuir. Des files de voitures militaires, de mulets chargés passent sans cesse depuis deux jours et les réfugiés sur toutes sortes de véhicules encombrent les routes - passent chargés de quelques absurdes paquets sans but.

Nous avons encore liberté ce matin … mais il y a tant de réfugiés partout et les routes sont pleines d’autos en panne qu’on pousse dans les champs. L’accident le plus petit est tragique. Les Allemands sont à nos portes.

J’espère qu’ils ne nous feront rien. Je suis angoissée pour Dick qu’ils peuvent emmener dans un camp ou prendre comme otage. A la grâce de Dieu maintenant …

My dear Eileen 

I am writing you a quick message, probably my last one - which I will give to a soldier. 

We're trapped in St. Claude now. We waited in vain for information from the consulate - and Dick didn’t want to leave his job before things were really dangerous – but events moved so fast that it is now too late to escape. Queues of military cars and loaded mules have been passing all the time over the last two days and refugees on all sorts of vehicles fill the roads – loaded with absurd, pointless packages. 

We still have freedom this morning ... but there are so many refugees everywhere and the roads are full of broken cars that have to be pushed into the fields. The smallest accident is tragic. The Germans are at our doors. 

I hope they won't do anything to us. I am anxious for Dick in case they take him to a camp or as a hostage. We’re in God's hands now ...

Quel bonheur que vous nous ayez quittés à temps. Les jours qui vont suivre seront bien durs. Les soldats français sont admirables. Ils gardent un moral superbe-le sourire-les encouragements pour chacun. Ils partent fourbus mais emportant avec des soins touchants leurs mascottes : chiens, lapins. Quel chic peuple que le peuple français si éprouvé - trahi inconcevablement et toujours si fier. Il ne méritait pas cela.

How lucky it was that you left here in time. The days to come are going to be hard. The French soldiers are admirable. They keep up a high morale, a smile and words of encouragement for everyone. They leave exhausted but carry with touching care their mascots: dogs, rabbits. What good people the French are – so tested - inconceivably betrayed yet always so proud. They didn't deserve this.

J’espère que l’aide viendra, j’espère encore que nous recevrons autre chose que le cœur des autres nations. Les cœurs même américains, ne servent pas de projectiles dans les batailles et les discours n’arrêtent pas le sang. Il est impossible que la France meure.

I hope that help will come, I still hope that we will receive something more than just the best wishes of other nations. Even American wishes are no use as weapons in battle and speeches do not stop blood. France must not die.

Voulez-vous téléphoner à Couroy à Roseberry Avenue pour dire que nous sommes encore là (le 17 juin). Plumb et Cole sont partis Dick est donc seul ici. Je ne sais pas si au dernier moment nous bougerons mais ce sera au dernier moment et j’en doute.

Espérons de meilleurs jours et sans doute au revoir. Je n’ai pas pu téléphoner à Mory, c’est coupé. Je ne sais pas si ma famille est partie mais j’ai donné votre adresse à ma mère pour qu’elle m’y écrive au cas où nous sortirions du chaos les uns et les autres.

Would you call Couroy at Roseberry Avenue to tell him that we are still here (June 17)
Plumb and Cole left, so Dick is here on his own. I don’t know if at the last moment we will be able to get out, but it will be at the last moment and I doubt it.

Let's hope for better days but for now it’s probably goodbye. I couldn’t call Mory, the phone line’s been cut. I don’t know if my family has left, but I gave my mother your address so that she could write to me if we all manage to get out of this mess.

Au revoir petite Eileen et gardons l’espoir. J’espère que tout va bien pour vous. Le moral est bon ici. Vous savez les Français parlent beaucoup aux moments sans danger – mais Ils tiennent bon dans les mauvaises heures et ceux qui restent se taisent. St. Claude tout entier est parfait.  

Goodbye little Eileen and let's keep up hope. I hope you're all right. Morale is good here. You know the French speak a lot at times when there’s no danger - but they hold strong during the tough times and those who remain here keep silent. All St. Claude is fine.  

Best kisses

Ginette

Bonjour à tout le monde. Ginette est un chic copain en temps de crise.

Dick

Hello everyone. Ginette is a good friend in times of crisis.

Dick

Having decided to stay after the Germans advanced, at first, as Ginette had hoped, Dick was not betrayed. He was on good terms with the Captain of the Gendarmerie. But soon after the Captain was dismissed by the Germans, Dick was arrested and interned at Fresnes, outside Paris. After the war he returned to St. Claude, weighing only 6 stone. 

Dick had used up all his stocks, while his rivals who had fled returned with their stocks intact. Dick felt badly let down by the Company and he and Ginette left France on the (what turned out to be false) promise of work in New Jersey, USA.

Ginette lived the last decades of her life in South Carolina. She continued a lifelong correspondence with Eileen.